Golden Grove

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Specifications

18 or 19 October 1786 – Deptford Officers to Navy Board:

Golden Grove, Wm Sharp, 331 30/94, 6 years, 5’6” 5’0” 5’1” (TNA ADM 106/3321/94; TNA ADM 106/3364/77)

14 November 1786 - Navigation Act Pass:

Golden Grove, 321 tons, 4 guns, Wm Sharp, 15/5 crew (ADM7/104, No.3455)

Owner at First Fleet

William Leighton – The family was from County Durham. William was the son of George Leighton of Bishop Wearmouth, a merchant, and the grandson of William Leighton of Ryhope. He was born around 1750.

His father died in October 1774, and he seems to have moved to London around 1779, and in that year he seems to have lived in Wapping. He is listed among the subscribers following a fire at St John of Wapping. (Morning Chronicle & London Advertiser, 19 April 1779)

1786 is the first year in which we presently have a record of his home address at Charlton, Kent, a community close to the river at Greenwich. Throughout the 1780s and 1790s, his name in the ships’ registers is almost always ‘William Leighton of Charlton in the County of Kent, Merchant’. In 1800, Leighton acquired the lease of Kemnall House at Chislehurst in Kent, which had been the residence of Lord Chief Baron Macdonald of the Court of Exchequer. (Daniel Lysons, ‘The Environs of London’, 1811, p 443)

He was evidently deeply involved in the coal trade. His ships regularly sailed to and from Newcastle. Many of them were built at Whitby. In 1787, he was joint owner of the Arnold Polly with Benjamin Kennett, Junior, a coal merchant. And in 1790, Leighton’s address in the register for the William, was given as ‘The Coal Exchange, London’.

Leighton took up five Navy Board contracts for transportation to New South Wales, and after 1793, seems to have had several military transportation contracts with the Board.

History of the Ship

1780 – Built at Whitby for Leighton & Co.

In the period 1780 to 1784, there were several ships of this name being used in the West India trade, and it is difficult to distinguish which she is. However, from the tonnage, this may be her:

24 July 1780 – The Golden Grove, Hooper, had arrived at Portsmouth from Jamaica. (Morning Chronicle and London Advertiser, 26 July 1780) – It is not clear this is the same vessel.

7 January 1783 – Navigation Pass No.4259. Golden Grove. 400 tons, 6 guns. John Mann. Crew: 5/12. To Jamaica. No date of return listed. (TNA ADM7/103)

March 1783 – The Golden Grove, Mann, sailed with a convoy for Jamaica. One of the other ships in the convoy was the Lady Juliana, Sayle. (Oxford Journal, 14 June 1783, p.3) It is possible she was employed in the transport service.

12-15 June 1784 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, Robert Morris. (Public Advertiser, 16 June 1784)

13 July 1784 – Inward to the Port of London, Golden Grove, R. Morris, from Newcastle. (Public Advertiser, 14 July 1784)

1-3 September 1784 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, John Thompson. (Public Advertiser, 4 September 1784)

15 October 1784 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, John Thompson. (Public Advertiser, 16 October 1784)

29 November 1784 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, John Thompson. (Public Advertiser, 1 December 1784)

17 March 1785 – During a strong wind and tide at North Shields, the Golden Grove had her starboard bow stove in and lost her bowsprit. The Fishburn was damaged in this same storm. (London Chronicle, 19-22 March 1785)

30 March 1785 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Thompson. (Public Advertiser, 1 April 1785)

22 May 1785 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Thompson. The Fishburn and the Borrowdale arrived at the same time. (Public Advertiser, 25 May 1785)

30 June 1785 – The Golden Grove, Thompson, arrived at Portsmouth from Newcastle. (Whitehall Evening Post, 14-16 June 1785)

1 July 1785 – The Golden Grove, Thompson, sailed from Portsmouth for Newcastle. (Whitehall Evening Post, 30 June to 2 July 1785)

1786 – Lloyd’s Register. Whitby. 1780. 400 tons. Sheathed in 1782. Surveyed in 1783. Owned by Leighton. Master: Thompson. (LR 1786) 18 or 19 October 1786 – Deptford Officers to Navy Board.

Golden Grove, Wm Sharp, 331 30/94, 6 years, 5’6” 5’0” 5’1” (TNA ADM 106/3321/94; TNA ADM 106/3364/77)

30 October 1786 – According to the Accounts of the Receiver of Sixpences for Greenwich Hospital for 1789, this was the date when the first of the men came on board. (TNA ADM68/206, 13 June 1786)

14 November 1786 - Navigation Act Pass:

Golden Grove, 321 tons, 4 guns, Wm Sharp, 15/5 crew (ADM7/104, No.3455)

13 May 1787 – Sailed from the Mother Bank with the First Fleet.

1788 – Lloyd’s Register. Built at Whitby in 1780. 400 tons. Sheathed in 1786. Owned by Leighton & Co. Master: W. Sharpe. (Lloyd’s Register, 1789)

19 November 1788 – The Golden Grove sailed from Sydney Cove in company with the Fishburn.

10 June 1789 – Moored at Deptford and the ship was discharged. Last entry in log, signed by Sharp. (Journal of the Golden Grove, TNA ADM51/4376)

13 June 1789 – According to the Accounts of the Receiver of Sixpences for Greenwich Hospital for 1789, this was the date when the last of the men were discharged. William Sharpe Master. 1st payment. 331 tons. Usual crew of 20. (AD68/206)

26 May 1790 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Sharp. (Public Advertiser, 28 May 1790)

30 July 1790 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Sharp. (Public Advertiser, 2 August 1790)

27 August 1790 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Sharp. (Public Advertiser, 31 August 1790)

27 September 1790 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Sharp. (Public Advertiser, 29 September 1790)

26 November 1790 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Sharp. (Public Advertiser, 29 November 1790)

29 December 1790 – Inward to the Port of London from Newcastle, Golden Grove, W. Sharp. (Public Advertiser, 31 December 1790)

22 January 1791 – The Golden Grove of London, attempting to make Newcastle harbour in windy weather early in the morning drifted onto the Black Middens. She got off and put to sea and got into Blythe on Tuesday after making a good deal of water. (Newcastle Courant, 22 January 1791, p.4; Morning Post & Daily Advertiser, 26 January 1791)

The Golden Grove, Hill, sailed to Jamaica in 1791, returning in August. It is possible this was the same ship.

29 October 1791 – Navigation Licence. No.1458. 321 tons. William Sharp. 13/4 crew. To Marseilles. (TNA ADM7/110)

7 November 1791 – Golden Grove, Sharp, for Marseilles, came down to Deal. (London Chronicle, 5-8 November 1791)

19 November 1791 – The Golden Grove, Sharp, sailed for Marseille from Plymouth. (Lloyds Evening Post, 18-21 November 1791)

3 April 1792 – The Golden Grove, Sharp, was at Dover from Marseilles. (Public Advertiser, 5 April 1792)

24 April 1792 – The Golden Grove, Sharp, arrived at Gravesend from Marseilles. (Lloyd's List, 27.4.92)

Thereafter there were several ships of this name in the West India trade, but it is difficult to distinguish them.

Late 1795 or early 1796, - The Golden Grove, 200 tons (surely a mistake given the number of men she was carrying), was one of a large number of ships in the West India fleet under Admiral Christian that put back or were lost. She was carrying 202 men of the 63rd Regiment and returned to Portsmouth with Admiral Christian. (TNA ADM1/3731)